Crowd Defends Press Freedoms at Moscow Rally

MOSCOW — As many as 20,000 people crowded Pushkin Square in central Moscow on Saturday to defend free speech and Russia’s major private television network in one of the largest public displays of support for democratic liberties here in the post-Communist era.

The event, which combined a rock concert and political rally, was held to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin’s government to end its financial and legal campaign against NTV, the only nationwide independent television network.

The state-connected gas giant Gazprom has been trying for months to seize control of NTV, a move the station claims is part of a Kremlin attack on freedom of the press.

Russia is seeking the extradition from Spain of Vladimir A. Gusinky, head of the Media-Most company, who is charged with fraud in a case that claims he overstated the company’s assets to win loan guarantees from Gazprom worth $300 million.

“It’s not about fighting corruption,” Grigory A. Yavlinsky, leader of the reformist Yabloko party, shouted to the crowd Saturday. “It’s a fight against freedom of the press.”

Gazprom plans to hold an NTV shareholders meeting Tuesday at which it will assert that it is now the majority owner and attempt to replace the board of directors.

If successful, it could mean the end of independence for the station.